Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Another probe ? @ Delta Airline HQ

Hunt on for man at Delta HQ who showed up at night with stuffed animal

Frankly, this story sounds like a joke. But apparently, it is a real concern to Delta. It could be this man is insane, or he could actually be a Jihadist who thought the ruse of carrying an innocent-looking stuffed animal would make it so people wouldn't question him as to what he was doing.

From the Star Tribune:

A man with a stuffed animal was confronted Tuesday night at Delta's north headquarters by an airline employee, prompting Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport police to initiate a hunt for the person, an airport official said Wednesday.

The incident occurred about 9 p.m. Tuesday at the administrative building, which is attached to a hangar off 34th Avenue, said airport spokesman Pat Hogan. It is not known whether the individual had access rights to the building, Hogan said.

According to Hogan:

A man entered the building and was confronted by a Delta employee who asked to see his identification badge. The man responded by holding out a stuffed animal and saying, "This is all you need to see." The man then fled.

Airport police notified the Transportation Security Administration and worked with Delta security officials to look for the individual in the immediate area. Police then stepped up patrols around the building and the airfield but saw no sign of the man.

The man was described as black, 19 to 22 years old, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with an average build. He was wearing a tan oversized jacket and a red shirt.

The stuffed animal had a leopard print design.

Even though there is no indication that the man entered the adjoining hangar, airport dogs were brought in to check for explosives on airplanes before they left the hangar. No explosives were found.

Anyone with any information about the incident should call airport police at 612-726-5115.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Update to earlier event at Metro Detroit

Airport fracas suspect has mental problems, dad says

The Ohio man accused of ignoring Metro Airport security until he was jolted with a Taser this week, causing a nearly hour-long shutdown of the McNamara Terminal, has suffered from mental problems related to a car crash, his family said today.

Kalyan Policherla, 27, was arraigned today in 34th District Court in Romulus on charges of resisting and obstructing a police officer during the security breach Monday. The charge is a misdemeanor that carries up to two years in prison if the Bryan, Ohio, man is convicted.

Judge David Parrott set bond at $10,000 for Policherla, who remained held at the Wayne County Jail. A preliminary exam is set for Feb. 24.

His father, Dr. Prasad N. Policherla, a neurologist for the Defiance Clinic in Defiance, Ohio, issued a statement today saying “his son has been dealing with some mental health issues and erratic behaviors since an automobile accident in September of 2009.”

A spokeswoman for the clinic declined to elaborate and said Dr. Policherla wouldn’t comment further.

Kalyan Policherla also faces a federal charge of entering an airport in violation of security requirements, a one-year misdemeanor. During a U.S. District Court appearance Tuesday, he did not respond to a request to say his name and was ordered held until a detention hearing in federal court Thursday.

Policherla ignored Transportation Security Administration officers as he walked through a passenger screening checkpoint Monday morning, authorities said. Policherla had no boarding pass or luggage when he parked illegally at the airport and breezed past security, ignoring demands to stop before he was subdued. Police said they found nothing suspicious on him or in his vehicle.

Airport gates were closed around the area of the breach. A portion of the terminal was evacuated and some passengers fled in panic.

Anonymous said...

Stuffed animal? Like a teddy bear which is stuffed with drugs?
Drugs allegedy hidden in children's toys